Golf-swing practicing devices enable golfers to practice their golf swing when away from the golf course. An ideal golf-swing practicing device should serve as a training aid by both enabling golfers to condition their muscles and to indicate to the golfer when a good golf swing has been executed.
A number of golf-swing practicing devices have been developed. Such devices commonly include some mechanism whereby a ball, after being struck, travels in a circular or spiraling path about an upright pole or post. These devices enable golfers to practice their game indoors or in the confines of, for example, a backyard.
Some such devices include a golf ball which is tethered by a flexible line to an upright post. Upon being hit, the ball and line wrap around the post. Such devices are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,143,351 to Bertrand and 3,815,922 to Brainard.
Other such golf practicing devices include a golf ball which is attached at the end of a support arm, the support arm in turn being rotatably mounted to an upright post. Devices such as these are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,091,985 to Thompson, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,643,961 to Schroeder; U.S. Pat. No. 2,641,932 to Van Kinkle; U.S. Pat. No. 1,690,158 to Currie; U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,503 to Nishizawa; U.S. Pat. No. 2,017,661 to Johanson; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,809 to Newton.
Such devices are not without drawbacks as training aids to indicate to the golfer when he has executed a good golf swing. For example, a well hit golf ball will travel upwardly in a smooth ascending path from which it was hit. Most prior art devices do not indicate to the golfer when such a shot has been properly executed.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,091,985 to Thompson, et al., discloses a spring-armed golf stroke practicing device designed to operate best when the ball is hit to travel in a horizontal plane. If the ball is hit to deviate from the horizontal plane from which it was hit, the rotating device is soon brought to a standstill (lines 80-87). Accordingly, such a device becomes inoperable when a well-executed ascending golf shot has been made.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,641,932 to Van Kinkle discloses a golf game and practicing apparatus having a golf ball secured at the end of a support arm. The ball when hit is raised by centrifugal force and maintained in a raised position such that the support arm remains horizontal.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,690,158 to Currie discloses a golf-swing practicing device having a golf ball rotatably connected to a post through a flexible arm. The ball is supported by a tee for hitting by the golfer. Upon being struck, centrifugal force drives the ball radially outward from the center post and tee, preventing the tee from interfering with the rotation of the ball.
A need remains for an improved golf practicing device capable of accommodating the ascending path of a well hit golf ball while maintaining a desired spinning orientation to indicate to a golfer that a shot has been properly executed.